sample admission essay

Best Tips for Using a Sample Admission Essay without Resorting to Plagiarism

Referring to a sample admission essay is a good way of starting your own admission essay.  Most of us feel uncertain on how to begin or conclude an essay.  That is why having a sample admission essay as a reference is a good way of starting your essay. You only have to avoid plagiarism.  Plagiarism happens when you use the words of other people without clearly and properly acknowledging the source.  As writing an admission essay is just like producing any other publication, the tips are pretty much the same.

Quote and tell

Paraphrasing is an excellent way of showing your critical ability and reading comprehension.  It shows that you understand the text well enough to translate it into your own words.  It gives a good impression to your admission evaluators and can earn you good admission points.  However, you must acknowledge the sample admission essay upon which you base your statement.  In cases where you cannot keep your paraphrase from being too close to the original statement, better use quotation marks.  Never forget to indicate the source whether they are quoted directly or paraphrased ideas.

Quote it right

When you quote, make sure that the words within the quotation marks are accurate.  Since the words fall within these punctuation marks, they are expected to be the exact words of your source.  Never place a word out of order or add your own ideas.  A slight alteration to the original statement from a sample essay is already a case of plagiarism.

Classify information

Plagiarism happens when you use any information that does not originate from you without citing its original source.  However, general information or knowledge needs no citation.  Information can be considered common if it is stated without citation in five credible sources.  If there is any general information found in the sample admission essay that you are using, then you need not quote it.  Just be sure to verify whether the information is general knowledge or not.  If you are not sure, then better cite the essay as a source.

Know how to cite properly

The MLA and APA have guidelines which will help you cite a work properly.  Read and understand the guidelines that each format provides.  This works for two reasons: primarily, it helps you avoid plagiarism by giving due credit to the writer of the sample essay, and admission evaluators will not accept a work that is poorly cited.

Photo Credit : Kai Hendry